


creating happy hours for tomorrow and reliving those of yesterday

by caesarions



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Ancestors, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Eve, Cultural Differences, F/F, Interracial Relationship, M/M, Religious Discussion, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-23 05:31:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17074289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesarions/pseuds/caesarions
Summary: Two couples spend two Christmases in two countries.





	1. kala christougenna

**Author's Note:**

> this is for Rarepair Exchange, as hosted by the aphsecretsanta blog on tumblr! it did not have to be christmas-themed, lmfao. my partner, meet-the-mun-gypty, actually requested 'Christmas' as one of their prompts. i also chose Egypt/Greece out of their requested pairings. 
> 
> i went a little canon divergent (because it's me of course) and also added their nyo siblings for anyone looking for some lesbian love. Greece is mostly canon but renamed for cultural accuracy. female Greece and both Egypt ocs belong to my friend mala (AO3 user junglefresh). 
> 
> i hope everyone enjoys, but especially them! 
> 
> names:
> 
> female greece - eleftheria athanasiou
> 
> greece - nikolaos papadopoulos
> 
> female egypt - talibah el mahdy
> 
> egypt - ziad el mahdy

“I’m so glad you could make it!” Eleftheria jostled Talibah’s shoulders, shaking the thin girl like a reed by the Nile. The gesture was strangely loving. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it on time.”

“Because I didn’t remind them on time,” Nikolaos admitted, hauling her luggage along as they departed the Athens International Airport.

“It is seldom that men own up to their mistakes.” While chuckling, Talibah simply accepted the fact that she remained in Eleftheria’s vice grip. However, she freed a few long, black hairs from her friend’s hands. “Perhaps you may teach my brother a lesson?”

“I forgive you this time, little Nikos,” his sister huffed. Talibah eyed Nikolaos’ true size, and the pair shared a secret smile. Eleftheria clouded Talibah’s field of vision once again, batting her eyelashes. “Are you sure he couldn’t join us?”

“Ziad prepares for his own Christmas festivities. He is closer to the Copts than I am, so I admit I have no idea what that entails,” Talibah shrugged. “His fast lasts a bit longer, so he would not be able to eat with us.”

Eleftheria pouted. She kept the same hold on Talibah as they boarded the metro. “That’s a shame. We’ll have a king’s spread after we return from the service tonight. For now, we have to show you the Christmas tree!”

“We can’t drop her bags off at home first?” Only the walls of the train listened to Nikolaos. Eleftheria pulled Talibah along with an ancient strength, almost leaving him behind.

When they found their seats, Eleftheria finally replied, “We’ll take the train to the city center and walk home when we’re done.”

The weather was fair enough to wear light jackets, but it did not have to always be that way. The whole journey, transfers and all, had taken about an hour. Sunset had slowly melted away during the ride. When they stepped out of the train, twilight spurned them on to return home before the chill of nightfall.

“ _Syntagma_ Square!” Eleftheria pronounced proudly after the short stroll—although a bit uselessly. As soon as they had exited a street, hot blue and white lights blinded Talibah.

When she ceased blinking for safety, Talibah could focus on the city’s Christmas decorations. White lights draped lovingly over the square of natural trees. On a raised platform, a metal spiral imitated a modern art Christmas tree. The Greek siblings stepped beside her, dipped in sea blue light.

Talibah shielded her chocolate eyes to see the star on top of the towering spire. She mused honestly, “Impressive! The sight was worth the wait.”

“A little touristy,” Eleftheria admitted. Her chuckle caused a cascade of chocolate ringlets to spill out from her jacket. “If we had decided to celebrate in Thessaloniki, Aristotelous Square decorates with both a tree and the more traditional ship.”

“As if Thessaloniki is free from tourists. Far from it.” Nikolaos leaned lazily on Talibah’s luggage handle, raising one caterpillar eyebrow.

She glanced between the siblings and tittered. “Ah. Tourists can be more trouble than they are worth.”

Despite, or in spite of, their initial rush, Eleftheria forced them to stop and take pictures. Well, Nikolaos took pictures of the two girls hugging and posing in front of the lit tree.

“Is your finger over the lens?” Eleftheria demanded to know.

Nikolaos moved the phone into landscape mode for more pictures. “You make that mistake more than I do, Ria.” Of course, they still checked the quality before departing the square.

Once past the trees, the three nations navigated by the grace of lampposts alone. Hopefully, they had left themselves enough time to finish the last recipes before the midnight service.

Speaking of, when Talibah stepped into Nikolaos’ Athenian apartment, the sharp scents of cinnamon, oranges, and cloves slapped her cheeks. “Oh! You two must have been busy.”

“You probably smell the _christopsomo_ ,” Eleftheria explained. She pointed to the round loaf cooling on the counter. “We made it last so it’ll be fresh and fluffy for tomorrow.”

“Well, I hope Christ likes his bread,” Talibah said as she observed the raised crust arranged in a cross.

The group removed their outerwear before continuing. Deeper into the kitchen, Nikolaos opened the refrigerator to check on the salads and vegetables. Eleftheria nodded to two spinach pies on the island. “We each made our own _spanakopita_. You’ll have to tell us which sibling is the better chef.”

“I do not think I could do that.” Glancing between the two pies, both looked the same to Talibah’s untrained eye. “Both recipes will have their positives.”

“A diplomatic answer that even our mother could appreciate,” Eleftheria laughed kindly. Still, she winked at Talibah to pick her _spanakopita_.

Nikolaos glared across the marble island. “Or she would not. It depends.”

“...It depends, yes. On many things.” Without paying Nikolaos the same attention, she whisked Talibah away by the hand. Egg-shaped pastries cooled behind the bread. Talibah spied the dough decorated with ground walnuts.

“I also made _melomakarona_  for dessert,” Eleftheria mused. “I hope you like honey and olive oil.”

Feigning offense, Talibah placed a hand on her chest. “Am I not as Mediterranean as you?”

“There’s nothing else I’d rather you be.” Eleftheria poked the other’s nose.

Nikolaos waved a dismissive hand at their display. “Well, I have a lamb to roast, which needs to be put in the oven before we leave.”

“We would be more than happy to help with that,” Talibah offered, hopefully truthfully, “after I put my things away.”

“I’ll take you to the guest room.” Eleftheria circled back to Talibah’s luggage left at the doorway. At the same time, Nikolaos opened the freezer.

Both events afforded Talibah the chance to glance at the dining table. She noticed a wooden bowl with wire suspended across the rim. A similarly wooden cross and a plant hung from the wire.

As they walked through the hall, Talibah asked, “What purpose does that bowl serve, Eleftheria?” She pointed behind her when Eleftheria only scrunched her brows.

“Oh! Thanks for reminding me. I need to get started on that tomorrow.” Opening the bedroom door, she beckoned Talibah inside. “Someone, usually the mother of the house, dips the basil into holy water and sprinkles each room. The _kallikantzaroi_ won’t eat us that way.”

“Oh my!” Talibah entered with a silvery giggle. “I want you to be safe, of course.”

“They’re little goblins that only come to the surface after Christmas and until Epiphany. Actually, I’d love to see what they could do to our kind.” Laughing at her own jest caused Talibah to smile fondly. “Anyway, the two of us will be sharing this guest bedroom for your stay.”

“I feel much better knowing that you will protect it soon.” Talibah perched on the edge of the bed and glanced up.

Eleftheria wheeled Talibah’s luggage to the same side of the bed. Her emerald eyes had lost their sparkle in the transition. “It shouldn’t really be my job at all.”

“I know what you mean,” Talibah murmured honestly. It was a conundrum each nation faced, some more than others, especially at some times of the year. She covered Eleftheria’s hand with her own. “We make do with the family that we still have.”

“...It’s strange,” Eleftheria mused quietly as she was led to the bed. Since the door remained open, the scent of lamb and spices snuck into the room. “It’s not her religion. You could even argue she died because of it. Is it wrong to keep it?”

“Well, we are not our parents.” Talibah reclined on the bed. “There is nothing wrong with honoring them. You know I took my father’s name when we began to rediscover our roots. But to go against them is not necessarily to dishonor them.” She had added _ibnat Neferma'at_ to her list of many names in the late 1800s. She could have removed it when the trend died down in the next century, but she decided not to.

“ _Legacy_ can also be more trouble than it’s worth,” Eleftheria huffed and leaned on her friend’s shoulder. “It used to bother me more. Now I can’t help but find a sense of peace in the religion.”

“And is that not all that religion is for?”

As if on heavenly cue, the clear singing of Christmas carols rang outside. Jumping up in recollection, Eleftheria’s curtain of hair tickled Talibah’s collarbones. “The children! I thought they had forgotten us this year!”

In her rush, she forwent leaving the room and instead leapt to the wall Talibah followed just in time to feel the refreshingly cool wind sneak in after Eleftheria threw open the windows.

Nikolaos was among the small group of adults gathered at the mouth of the apartment building. From their view from above, the girls joined in watching the child carolers.

“Oh, I always love the _kalanda_ ,” Eleftheria sighed. “Nikos better tip them well.”

The children’s voices were accompanied by little drums and metal triangles. Each strike of the triangle reflected a bright star of warm lamppost lighting. At the end of each song, the children received little sweets.

“I dislike interrupting,” Talibah whispered into Eleftheria’s ear, “but who is watching the oven now?”

“We probably should be since we offered to help.” Closing the window, the Greek woman’s mouth twitched. “Instead, I repeated what’s always on my mind around the holidays. I hope you can forgive me.”

The Egyptian took Eleftheria’s hand once more. “There is nothing to forgive.”

They exchanged a chaste cheek kiss that still meant the world.


	2. eid milad majid

“Sorry you missed your own Epiphany celebrations yesterday to come here,” Ziad mumbled, tapping his fingers on the kitchen table.

“That’s more than alright,” Nikolaos huffed. “Ria pushes me in after the priest blesses the waters every _Theofania_. Even the years when I jump into the sea myself, I’m never the one to reach the cross first.”

Leaning back, the Egyptian man nodded in commiseration. “The winner gets good luck for the year, do they not? Our kind could always use a bit more of that.”

“I think the people need it more. Their bodies have a higher chance of going into shock.” A hearty chuckle formed around the rim of Nikolaos’ cup. “Instead, I’m here, as you treat me with warm tea and cookies.”

And something far greater.

“ _Kahk_ ,” Ziad corrected his friend. Even as he did so, he forced another one of the powdered biscuits on the Greek. “Superior to any old cookie. A household staple every January 7th morning.”

Nikolaos raised a heavy brow. “You’re the only Copt in this household.”

“Then, I get to do what I want,” huffed the other. He continued, “...Talibah uses _kahk_ on _Eid_. Our mother baked them, too.”

“That old, huh? Do you remember what for?” Nikolaos asked, only to make idle conversation.

However, Ziad squirmed. “Yes, but… Not personally.” He still simmered on whether to be glad or upset that, though _kahk_ ’s original purpose slipped his childish mind, historians could rediscover the information, even without any personal connection to his mother. Or was forgetting simply in a nation’s job description under duress from the march of progress?

Either way, a vague memory haunted Ziad’s mind, holding Talibah’s rosy, chubby fingers before gifting the largest _kahk_ of their extended lives to their mother’s tomb.

“I need more tea.”

Nikolaos’ emerald eyes hounded his back as the Egyptian rose. Whatever Nikolaos was previously going to say, he sighed, replacing it with a gentle, “You should have let me make… coffee.”

Lowering his new cup from his lips before it was too late, the light of laughter returned to Ziad’s face. This side of the Mediterranean had reached a delicate truce of personally dropping Greek and Turkish labels from any coffees. At least, in each other’s presence. At home, they probably repeated saying their respective coffee into the mirror to assert their dominance.

“You are not wrong,” Ziad admitted, returning to the table. “The service ran even later than midnight. Everyone I saw on my walk home through the streets of Cairo wanted to talk to me.” Of course, Nikolaos, who slept like the dead, had noticed little and less.

Talibah, who had no excuse to be up this late, only now strode into the kitchen. Perhaps holiday laziness transcended religions.

“Good morning, brother,” Talibah yawned, but she was awake enough to muss up his hair. “Good morning, Nikos.”

The aforementioned Greek groaned. “Not you, too. I’m a grown man.”

“Those who assert that are usually anything but,” Talibah chided. “I thought it was cute when Eleftheria did it.”

“You think everything she does is cute. I think it’s not very cute that she procrastinated on all of her paperwork until vacation was almost over and missed this actual vacation.” Nikolaos began to banter, but Talibah flashed him a threatening smile on that calm visage.

Changing the subject, Talibah continued, “Your sister also got me started on those cookies. _Melo_ …?”

“ _Melomakarona_ ,” Nikolaos jumped in quickly, not that he did not trust her. Both of their languages were ancient jumbles, generous gifts from their ancestors. “I was thinking that these are similar.”

“ _Kahk_? Yes, I suppose they are. The honey, the nuts,” Talibah mused as she joined them at the table. “Ingredients available to every Mediterranean nation.”

It was Ziad’s turn to raise his angled brow. “But not every nation is.”

They clinked their teacups together for that.

“Well, what’s on the agenda for today?” Nikolaos asked now that they were all together.

“We have some _fatta_ to eat,” Ziad explained, “among other animal products that I haven’t eaten for 43 days. But who’s counting?”

Talibah chimed in, “I thought you were supposed to feast right after the service.”

“You are, but I could not wake up our guest, and I was not going to eat without him,” her brother huffed.

“How sweet,” the Egyptian women cooed. “ _Fatta_ is a warm dish with lots of flatbread and lamb. I think you will like it.

Nikolaos turned his eyes to Ziad once more. “I’m sure I’ll love it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! it was just something short and fluffy, so i hope you enjoyed the fic and your holidays!

**Author's Note:**

> i'll post the second chapter closer to epiphany since that's what it's about :) thanks for reading!


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